MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
use, even in large quantities.— M., Kalamazoo, 
Michigan . 
Remarks. —Our correspondent, we presume, re¬ 
fers to leached ashes. Injury may result from the 
use of finleaohed ashes in large quantities. We 
would not advise the use of ashes for cherry trees. 
We have known cherry trees badly injured andj 
destroyed by the use of ashes. 
PHK DELAWARE GRAPE, 
In 1863 we saw for the firRt time the l 
Pomologieal Convention held in this ci' 
and having a good opportunity to taste 
more than ever impressed in its favor.— 
The bunch is small, compact, sometimes 
shouldered. Be-rries small send round. 
Skin thin and of a coppery color. Very 
little pulp. Flavor very sweet, but 
sprightly and pleasant. It is in all re¬ 
spects an excellent table grape. It is 
represented as being two weeks earlier 
than the Isabella—the vine a vigorous^ 
grower and great bearer. It is entirely 
hardy, free from mildew, and ripens its 
wood better than almost any other va- 
riety. 
This grape has been considered of for¬ 
eign origin- 
.LIST OT» ♦PATENTS 
Issued from the United, Shite* Patent Office far the week 
t i. ending .January 27, 1857. 
THE MAIDKN-ll AIR-LEAVED SAI.ISB17RIA. 
We introduce to the notice of our readers this 
week a beautiful ornamental tree, the Salisburia 
adiantifolia, or (linkgo Tree, It is a deciduous 
tree of the first magnitude, and remarkable lor the 
singularity of its leaves, which seem to unite Con- 
ifer:e with Corylaoea?. It. was named Sahsburia in 
honor of a distinguished botanist, ft. A. Salisbury, 
and Ginkgo is the native'name in Japan. It is a 
native of China and Japan, and was first dis¬ 
covered in Japan in 1CJ0, and first, imported 
into Europe about 17SO, probably by the Dutch 
traders with Japan. It was only introduced into 
England about 100 years since, and Linn.eus first 
published a notice of it in 1771. It was first plant¬ 
ed in France in 1780, anil in this country in 1784, 
being imported by Mr. Hamilton, and planted at 
Woodlands, near Philadelphia. In 1843 the im¬ 
ported tree was 64 feet high, and 3 feet 10 inches 
in circumference at 2 feet from the ground. 
ment in steam and pressure gouges. 
Wm. Bennett, New York, improvement in radiators for 
Are ptacs grates and Franklin stoves. 
Geo. W. Bishop, Brooklyn, N. Y., improv^betft ins'fno 
grooving machines. 
R. P. Bradley. Cuyahoga Falls, 0., i m p r o v e rn 
nisehines lor shearing sheep. 
Sfiml.Brsd bury, Griggsville, Ill,.improvement in flfelilpes 
for trimming hedges. 
James S. Brown, Pawtucket, Mass., improvement ia 
speeders. 
John Broughton, Chicago n!., improved sash fastener, 
Tenison Chester, Middleburg, O,, iuprovement ia insert¬ 
ing buckets in water wheels. 
Sami. Cobb, Cincinnati, O., improved corpse preservers. 
Geo. Conk and David Cook, New Haven, Conn.,improve¬ 
ment in calash carriage tops. 
Geo. Crangle, Philadelphia, Pa., improved rotary teick 
machines. 
Michael DeCamp, South Bend, Ind., improved grain 
separators. 
Lewis F. Ctirrierl, Portland, Me., improved method in 
hailing rice. 
Geo. N. Cummings, Hartford Conn., improwment in 
soldering spectacles. 
Lyman Derby, New York, improved tailors measures. 
James B. Eads, St. Louis, Mo., improved method iu blast¬ 
ing rocks under water. 
Jeremiah D. EgglestoD, Canaan, Ct., improvement in feed 
bores of bee hives. 
Henry A. Fowler, East Guilford, N. Y., improvement in 
fastenings for hames. 
Richard J. Gating, Indianapolis, improvement in ma¬ 
chines for fallowing land. 
Heinrich Genhart, Leige, Belgium, improvement in re¬ 
peating Sre arms. 
James W. W. Gordon, Catonsville, Md., vaccinating 
instrument. 
James W. W. Gordon, Catonsville, Md., spring lancet. 
Robert Grout, Brooklyn, process for making Illuminating 
gas. 
Samuel Hall, New York, improvement in cutting sheet 
metal. 
George E. Hayes, Buffalo, mounting of artificial teeth. 
James Harrison, Jr., New York, improved machine for 
making coiled springs. 
Moses G. Hubbard, Penn Yan, improvement in harves¬ 
ters. 
Edward G. Hyde, Irvington, acoustic auricle. 
Frank G. Johnson, Brooklyn, improved method of con¬ 
structing fence posts. 
John P, Jourds, New York, improvement in raising 
sunken vessels, 
Edward Keith, Bridgewater, Mass., improvement in cot¬ 
ton gins. 
Anthony Kuhn, Baltimore, improvement in keyed harps. 
Charles T. Liernur, Mobile, improvement in compound 
rail for railroads. 
Matthias Ludburn, Essex, N, Y,, life boat. 
Joho M. May, Janesville, Wia., improved eeU-regulating 
wind mill. 
Joseph B, Okey, Indianapolis, improved lath machine. 
M. t.. Parry, Galveston, improvement in cotton presses. 
David Pollock, Lancaster, Penn., improved ore cleaner. 
John F. Reeve, Richmond, Ind., writing pen. 
Sam. l S. Kilter, Philadelphia, improvement in hernial 
trusses. 
Daniel W. Shares, Hamdon, Conn., improvement in har¬ 
rows. 
Alfred E. Smith, Bronxville, improvement in axle boxes. 
"Wm. T. Tillinghast, Dayton, O., composing stick for 
printers. 
Isaac Van Hagen, New York, improvement in oil cases. 
Abner Vsa Ho , New York, improvement in core boxes. 
James Noble Ward, United States Army, improved mode 
of altering Sint lock Sre anas to percussion. 
Geo. Weliuum, Lowell, improvement in machinery for 
stripping the top data of carding engines. 
Elbridge Wheeler, Faltonville, Miss., improvement in 
F. H. 'Whitaker, Cincinnati, improvement in nut ma- 
I chines. 
machine for forging metal. 
Haying taken the utmost paius in procuring 
seedB and preparing the ground by well manuring 
and pulverizing and mixing with the soil, I planted 
with the intention of raising squashes. In due 
time they appeared and gave flattering tokens of 
the future, bat soon as the third and fourth leaf 
appeared the striped bug appeared. Ashes, plas¬ 
ter, and often stirring the ground seemed rather 
too much for them. After they had had their day 
the large and voracious brown bug gave them a 
visit, amFsuch a visit, in. open violation of my acta 
and wishes, daily expressed and demonstrated.— 
After a long struggle notwithstanding, they in¬ 
creased by the moltiplication table—like Walker’s 
Boldiers they decreased. Thinking that nature, 
with what assistance I had rendered, was now up¬ 
perhanded, my attention was called to other mat¬ 
ters for some ten days, when I observed the vines 
were some of them wilting, and after a close ex¬ 
amination I found large grubs working in the vine 
just above the ground, literally eating them up.— 
By dint of persevering effort—using ashes, putting 
refuse tobacco about them—I succeeded in saving 
a part of them in a crippled state. Some were 
entirely destroyed, with squashes growing at least 
half their size. Perhaps some of your readers’ 
experience may have found Bn effectual remedy. 
Syracuse, N. Y., 1S56. S. N. Holmes. 
•but latterly we believe this \ / \s '—V J \ J 
idea has been given up. Itappears that / j _) y*7 \ 
it was taken from New Jersey to Dela- \ 1 f N 1 J 
ware, Ohio, from which place it receives x \ _l J 
its name. It first attracted the attention f f / 
of the horticulturists of Delaware, Ohio, [ I ] V?— 
by being offered in the streets for sale, , -— V J J \ 
by persons who had grown it in the 7 j '' ) 
country, and much pains was taken to ( / jr \ J 
propagate it and trace out its origin. A. jt [ 
To show the estimation in which it is 1 / N J\ 
held by the horticulturists of the conn- f -^ \ 
try, we give the Temarlia made at the ( 1 / J 
late Pomologieal Convention on this \f 
grape. Mr. Prince was of opinion that \ f f V 
this would prove to be the most delicious \ Y A J 
native grape, except perhaps the Scup- / y 
pernong of the South. Dr. Grant had l / \ \ 
grown it for three years, and found it V y J J 
perfectly hardy. Mr. Downing consid- 
ered it one of the finest native grapes, A—\ 7 J 
and said that it was very hardy with him. '- 
Dr. Brinckle saw it first in 1850, and 
thought it finer than any native grape that he knew, but had doubts of its being a native, and Mr. Long- 
worth said it was not. Mr. Ernst stated that Mr. Longworth had been mistaken in regard to this 
grape, and was now satisfied of its American origin. Mr. Motet esteemed it as an excellent fruit, and 
wished it placed upon the list of varieties that promise welL Dr. Grant remarked that it was first 
discovered in New Jersey, and was introduced into Ohio 25 or 30 years since. It was recommended 
Annual Meeting of the Horticultural So¬ 
ciety of the Valley of the Genesee. —This 
Society held its Annual Meeting at the Court 
House, Rochester, on Friday, the 16th inst. The 
following gentlemen were elected officers for the 
ensuing year: —President —W. A. Reynolds. Vice 
Presidents —Austin Pinney, Zera Burr, IL C. White, 
Selah Mathews, Geo. Ellwanger, H. N. Langworthy. 
Corresponding Secretary —H. E. Hooker. 'Treas¬ 
urer —J. H. Watts. Recording Secretary —Charles 
W. Seelye. Committee on Fruits —H. P. Norton, 
Selah Alathews, J. J. Thomas, L. A. Ward, H. E. 
Hooker, Joseph Frost. Committee on Flowers .— 
J. A. Eastman, Robert Donellan, James M. Whit¬ 
ney, Wm. Goldsmith, Benj. Hill, Joseph Harris.— 
Committee on Vegetables —H. C. White, T. A. New¬ 
ton, James Buchan, James Vick. Committee on 
Botany —Chester Dewey, J. B. Fuller. 
Perhaps I am mis 
time but they were identical, 
taken; I cannot say but I am, as I have never ex¬ 
amined his when in fruit. If so, the public may 
be assured that we have at least one more valuable, 
hardy sort. 
Mr. Allen says his 41 is not a native of Ohio.”— 
I do*not know as the one I have is a native of that 
State; yet I believe It to be—at least a native of 
our country,—for of all the imported varieties that 
I have ever had in my grounds, I have never found 
one as hardy. Mr. A. says “he wishes to de¬ 
ceive no one,” I am unable to see the force of this 
remark. No one, I believe, has accused him of 
deception. If the raspberry originated in Ohio, or 
Oregon, or anywhere else in our country, I can see 
no good reason why it should not be esteemed 
quite as highly, as if it came from Japan, or the 
Ganges. To conclude, whether the “ Ohio” variety 
is identical with Mr. Allen’s, I know not. Of one 
thing I am quite certain, that all who purchase the 
“Allen” variety will get the worth of their money. 
And now, Mr. Editor, while upon this subject, 
permit me to correct a few errors made by the re¬ 
porters at the meeting referred to. Iu the pub¬ 
lished proceedings of the 17th of January, we read 
as follows:—“Mr. Hodgs thought the Isabella 
Grape would not ripen well in the vicinity of 
Rochester.” Wliat I said ia as follows:—"The Isa¬ 
bella Grape rarely ripens well and becomes per¬ 
fectly black in the neighborhood of Buffalo in 
ordinary seasons.” Another error, on the subject 
of grafting. “Mr. Hodge said in 1848 he furnished 
a gentleman with 100 apple trees, — from these in 
the fall of 1854, he picked 120 barrels of apples.” 
It should read as follows:—Mr. H. was acquainted 
with a man who in the spring of 1S4S planted out 
100 apple trees, and in the autumn of 1855 gather¬ 
ed from them 120 barrels of apples, Ac. The par¬ 
son referred to is Mr. Henry Fai.es, of Peach Ha¬ 
ven. One more error. The large crop of Pears 
on some trees near me — for " last season,” read 
“in one season.” Last season we had but little 
fruit; much les3 than lor any year for a quarter of 
a century. By the way we have had much cold 
weather thi3 winter. Nine degrees below zero 
has been the coldest. Peaches all safe so far. 
Buffalo, Feb. 2,1857. Bknj. Hodge. 
Remarks. —Speakers do not always say just what 
they intend to say, nor do they always say just 
what they mean. It is not very important to know 
PICKING AND MARKETING. 
Mr. Editor:— Having given my views of the 
best method of cultivating Hardy Grapes, and the 
profits to be expected from their cultivation, I 
will now say a few words on the picking aud pre¬ 
paring the fruit for market, which is a very impor¬ 
tant matter to the cultivator, for it will add one- 
half or double the value of the fruit, by being 
neatly and properly done. The following is an 
excellent plan if not the very best 
Be sure to let your grapes remain on the vines 
until they are fully ripe, when they are black and 
sweet, and until they separate from the vine 
easily, when you take the bunch in your hand.— 
They are now ready to pick. The best thing to 
pick them in is half bai re la. Take new flour or 
apple barrels, saw them in the centre, bore holes 
in the sides to let the air circulate freely through, 
and put in ropes for handles. Pick the grapes and 
lay them in carefully, and then set your tub3 in a 
building, where the air can circulate freely; a 
corn barn ia a good building for this purpose.— 
Let them remain in this position from two to three 
weeks, or until the stems are dry. Then pack them 
in paper boxes made for the purpose, that will hold 
from live to six pounds, say 3 or 4 inches deep, 8 
wide and 12 long. These boxes are about 8 cents 
each in New York, with name, residence and kind 
of grape printed on the cover. Boxes and grapea 
are sold by the pound, and the box in this way 
brings as much, or a little more than it costs. 
Iu packing grapes in the boxes, lay a piece of 
cotton batting on the bottom of the box, and 
another layer oa top of the grapes, before putting 
on the cover. All the small or green fruit must 
be picked oft the hunches as they are packed in 
the boxes. Very few uuripened grapes will be 
found, whero the vine has been treated as before 
described. The grapes are now ready for market. 
Take off the cover two orthree days after packing, 
and you will find the aroma so inviting to your 
taste that you would willingly pay four times as 
much per pound, for a box of them, as you would 
for those grown in the usual way, with small 
bunches, small fruit, abundance of gTeen berries, 
without aroma, and sour at that. 
To send grapes to a distant market, pack these 
paper boxes in large wooden boxes. They can be 
sent iu this way to Europe, in good order, and in 
perfect condition. Stephen H. Ainsworth. 
West Bloomfield, N. Y., 1S57. 
SAUSnURIA — A YOUSO Tt;XK TOURTHKN FEET HIGH, AND 
FLOWERS. 
The tree makes a growth of about a foot a year 
in height, and the oldest trees known continue to 
grow as vigorously as when young. The form of 
the tree is shown by the engraving, “rising with a 
straight, erect trunk, regularly furnished with al¬ 
ternate branches, at first inclined upwards, hut as 
they become older taking a more horizontaldirec- 
tion, so as to form a regular, conical, aud some¬ 
what spiry-topped head.” The hark is grey, and 
the loaves irregular and beautiful. They are 
smooth, shiny, soft, and of a line yellowish green, 
and of the same color and texture on both Bides. 
As shown by the engraving, the leaves are of a 
peculiar form, being triangular, with long stalks, 
abrupt at the upper extremity, and cloven or 
notched, giving the tree when in leaf a most lively 
and beautiful appearance. The catkins of flowers 
as shown in the first engraving arc of a yellowish 
color. The fruit is a nut somewhat resembling, it 
is said, the almond in flavor. 
The Prospects of a Peach Crop in the neigh¬ 
borhood of Rochester, we are pleased to know, are 
better than we anticipated. The thermometer was 
down to 10° below zero, and yet on examining the 
fruit buds, 33 far as we have had an opportunity, 
we find them uninjured. Several peach growers 
in the vicinity report to us that their peach buds 
are killed, but we hope they are mistaken. 
M. B. Bateham, of Columbus, writes that the 
peach buds in that part of Ohio are not injured. 
It will he seen that Col. Hodge makes a similar 
report from Buffalo. 
ElbriJge Wheeler, Marlboro', Mass., improved clamping 
machine. 
Wm. Wilber, New Orleans, isoprovpment in mills for 
tempering oLageaous seeds. Fatented in England June 
12, 1856. 
Wm. Wilber, New YoTk, improvement in machines for 
bulling :io/i separating cottonseeds. 
Thou. S. Woodworth, Salem, N. J., improvement in sup¬ 
porting masts for the decks of vessels 
Era.vlus D. 'Wooding, Dixon, Ill., improvement in seeding 
machines. 
A. F. Chatman, New York, assignor to himself and Jacob 
Peourr, same place, improved, door spring. 
Sylvester Sawyer, Fitchburg, Mass,, “assignor to the 
American Hoop Machine Company, improved machine for 
pianiDg hoops. 
Jcs.C. Si ivy. New Orleans, assignor to Thos. J. Dobyns, 
same place, improvement in fountain pens. 
Peter L. Weimor. Lebanon, Fa., and Samuel P. Francisco, 
Reading Fa., assignors to Samuel ?. Francisco, improve¬ 
ment in operating the valve of steam hammers. 
Welcome Wtu'aker, Troy, assignor to Henry L. Palmer 
and Julius 11. Sk.Iton, same pLce, vermin destroyer. 
Clarissa A. Eubbard, executes of Guy H. Hubbard, dec’d, 
(late of Shelburne Falls, Mass.) improvement in machines 
lor paring snd aiidng apples. 
RE-ISSTS. 
Sam'l. R. Witaot, New York, portable steam sawing ma¬ 
chine. Patented August 14,1855. 
Eds. Rural: —Through the medium of your 
paper, permit a rural subscriber to show a mode¬ 
rate resentment of the unprovoked, unwise and 
invidious assault of the editors of the New York 
Tribune upon the habits and tastes of the rural 
population. 
If an arrogant bnt ignorant city fop were to 
assume the vain and insulting airs of these editors, 
and designate the country people in contradistinc¬ 
tion to the inhabitants of the city as “filthy,” 
“destitute of culinary knowledge and taste,” 
“abusiug tho good gifts of our Creator,” and pre¬ 
declared unworthy to entertain them at our “horrid 
feasts,” we would pass him by with silent con¬ 
tempt. We have often done so, bnt the editors of 
the Tribune, from their acquirements and position, 
merit reproof. 
The diversity of taste in the human family, is a 
wise and beneficent provision of Nature. It con¬ 
tents men in every variety of climate, on every 
quality of soil, and adapts them to every occupa¬ 
tion necessary iu society—to scavengers and edi¬ 
tors of filthy cities—to mechanics of the quiet 
village, and to hard-fisted farmers, of the God- 
created country. 
It is folly, therefore, in these arrogant editors 
to condemn the taste of country people, if they 
are designed to prefer the shade of the green for¬ 
est tree in summer, to the reflection from towering 
brick piles, on crowded streets—the odor of grow¬ 
ing vegetation and blooming flowers to city sew¬ 
ers, or brown steaks for breakfast to those more 
rare. 
In attempting to change our mode of cooking, 
perhaps these gentlemen are actuated by the same 
motive as the fox in the fable, who, when he had 
I lost his owu tail, wished to persuade all his race 
1 to amputate theirs—aud would reduce the hale, 
i portly old farmers everywhere iu the country, to 
! their own “lean and hungry” appearance. 
We are accused with sending our largest and 
fattest stock to market, and keeping the smallest 
and poorest for our own use. They would make 
us truly generous, and T would inform them that it 
is not always the largest, nor the fattest, nor the 
! oldest, that makes tho best meat. “ Where igno¬ 
rance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” 
If general daily ablution is necessary for the 
N. Y. Tribune editors, as they would intimate (and 
they are in tho best position to judge) I would not 
wish to associate with them at my "horrid feasts.” 
But there is difference in habits as well as tastes, 
and the city is so filthy. 
I would refer these city gentlemen for instruc¬ 
tion to a country bard: 
** O wad some power the giftie gie us,. 
To see oursels as fibers see us. 
It wad !rae mouie a blunder free as. 
And foolish notion." 
Troy, Mad. Co., HI., Jan., 1S57. A Farmer. 
There can be no doubt, for it is an unquestional 
ble fact; that the coal beds of England are the rea- 
natnral source of its physical wealth. Without 
coal, it never would have been a manufacturing 
country, without it no cotton manufactories would 
ever have been erected, and no steamships would 
have floated on its waters. It is simply because it 
has the largest coal fields in Europe, that it Is the 
greatest manufacturing country in that quarter of 
the world. Bnt it was very difficult to introduce 
the use of coal among the old English people. 
It was first used in that country about six centu¬ 
ries ago, and at that time Englishmen would not 
use the sooty fuel in their houses. It did not suit 
the lire places or domestic habits of the people; 
but it was found well adapted for the blacksmith 
and lime-burner. Only the layers near the surface 
and in coal fields adjacent to rivers and seas, were 
first opened; bnt when the demand increased, the 
miners dived more deeply into the bowels of the 
earth, and boldly worked the coal wherever it was 
to be found. When the mines became deep the 
miners were sadly perplexed how to get rid of the 
water; and it was not till the steam engine 
came to their aid that they fully mastered this 
difficulty. 
Bnt the prejudices of the users were as difficult 
to surmount as the perils of the miners. A citizen 
of London was once tried and executed for burn¬ 
ing sea coal in opposition to a stringent law passed 
in respect to that subject, but even long after such 
intolerance as this had passed away, coal was 
tabooed ia good society. Ladies had a theory that 
the black abomination spoiled their complexion; 
and i: was for a long time a point of etiquette not 
to sit in a room warmed by a coal fire, or to eat 
meat roasted by such means. Prejudice unques¬ 
tionably had much to do with these objections; 
bnt it was not all prejudice, for the almost total 
absence of proper arrangements for supply of fresh 
air, and removing stuoke and foul air, rendered 
the burning coal a very dirty and disagreeable 
companion in a room. 
Wood was then the principal fuel used in Eng¬ 
land, and the forests but scantily supplied the 
wants of the people. Turf or peat was also em. 
ployed in some districts as it still is in Ireland and 
LEAVKS AND FRUIT. 
The London Gardener's Chronicle, speaking of 
this tree, says:—“ In the scramble after novelties 
there is a risk that one of the most valuable of the 
exotic coniferous trees grown in Europe may be 
forgotten. It would be interesting to know what 
proportion the sale of the Ginkgo tree bears to 
such plants aa latodium semperciretts. We suspect 
that tho demand for it is almost nothing, judging 
from the very few places iu which it is ever seen. 
And yet it is a noble tree, of singular as well as 
beautiful aspect, as lmrdy as a poplar, aud, when 
old, of gigantic stature. Facts show that the Sal- 
isburia deserves t,o he more generally cultivated 
than it is. According to Mr. Martins, and others, 
the wood is dense aud strong—not unlike that of 
the orange tree, and by no means resinous, and 
when the female trees have a male branch grafted 
upon them, which is easily done, they produce 
fruit In abundance, which, If not of value for use¬ 
ful purposes, have, at least, tho merit of being or¬ 
namental.” 
The tree is yet scarce both in this country and 
Europe. To all who are ordering trees from nur¬ 
series, we say order a Salisburia, aud feel gratified 
if you got even a small plant. 
In your paper of the 31st ult., I 
Mr. Editor 
notice the communication of L. F. Ali.en, Esq.,in 
relation to tho “Allen Raspberries.” A reply from 
me no doubt is anticipated; aud I most cheerfully 
and frankly respond to the same. 
My remarks before the Society T believe were 
substantially as follows:—“The Allen Raspberry, 
is a variety much grown about Buffalo; probably 
a native of Ohio; very hardy; a most vigorous 
grower; an abundant bearer, fruit dark red, aud 
in my opinion a superior sort.” Now, in these re¬ 
marks, I had no design nr intention whatever, to 
say anything disparagingly, or to the prejudice of 
Mr. Ali en. Very far from it; and I am quite posi¬ 
tive that no one present believed so for a moment. 
That 1 had tho best of reasons to believe that I 
was speaking uiulerstaudingly on this subject, 
will appear from the following facts:—Mr. Allen 
aud myself, both of us, procured our plants from 
the garden of the lute Hut am Pratt, of this city, 
after the decease of Ihe proprietor. When mine 
came into hearing I found them identical, and to 
all appearance precisely like another very hardy 
and productive sort, which I had procured several 
years before, from Ohio, and which 1 was informed 
was a native of that State. Last autumn Mr. A. 
and myself had some conversation on this subject. 
This was niter the published description of his had 
appeared in tho papers. I informed him that I had 
tho same variety procured from the Pratt garden; 
and our views iu regard to the hardiness and value 
of th« fruit were alike. And although neither of 
us entered into a minute description of tho fruit or 
the plants, yet I had not the least doubt at the 
mQ,UTRIES AND ANSWERS, 
Editor Rural.—W ill you be kind enough be¬ 
fore planting time to name a few, say, half a dozen, 
of the earliest Summer Pears? I design to plant 
this spring, and look to the PiURal for the neces¬ 
sary information.—C ultivator, Ontario Co. 
Remarks. —Next week we will endeavor to de¬ 
scribe half a dozen of tho earliest Pears. 
Mr. Editor.—I have always heard, and read iu 
the horticultural books and papers, that the plum 
succeeds only ou a heavy soil. Now, I have a few 
plum trees of different varieties that have done 
finely oil a light sandy soil. Is this so generally 
in the West, or is this an exception to the rule?— 
N. T., near Chicago, III. 
Remarks. —The plum on the native stock, or as 
it is generally called, the Canada plum, which is 
the same as the wild plum of the West, succeeds 
well even on a very light soil. Iu our tiavels in 
the West last summer, we saw plenty of plum 
trees doing exceedingly well on the sandy oak 
ridges. 
Ashes for Fruit Treks.—Mr. Editor: —I wish 
to call the attention of all who cultivate fruit to 
the value of ashes as a manure for fruit trees. I 
have found it excellent on peaches, apples, and in 
fact on every tree on which I have tried them; and 
I have never known any injury to result from their 
The Dioscorka in Paris. —A correspondent of 
the Loudon Gardener's Chronicle, writing from 
Paris, says:—“ I saw the Dioscorea, or Chinese Po¬ 
tato, after the second year of cultivation, little 
better than we have it in this country, and they 
Bay It is of no use without two years’ growth in 
Paris. If, as experience proves, it is so shy, we 
may take our leave of it as an article of staple 
food, and it will only serve to make a dish at the 
tables of the wealthy portion of society.” 
Xu.im’i.. 
